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Badass Teachers Association Why we are calling for US Secretary of Education to Cancel the Tests Our youth especially our BIPOC Black and Indigenous People of Color youth are suffering as a result of the pandemic and education has a role to play to help children heal from the deleterious effects of remote learning shelter and place and the isolation children have faced. This means creating conditions where children can thrive and heal by building in structures of support and love instead of stressful tests where the data will end up being questionable at best and the experience harmful. With school buildings looking to open educators anxiously awaiting vaccinations and hopes rising for a recovery the very last message that we need to send to our youth is that the only reason they are going back to school is so they can be tested that school isnt about them but about a misguided policy. Time spent in the classroom must focus on building relationships productive learning and building hope for the future.